Installing interconnected smoke detectors

During last nights storm our phone line got knocked out. No big deal except it set the alarm panel beeping about a phone fault. Usually I can press the * to quiet this beep but last night I could not. So I had to shut it off. Then we realized that we no longer had smoke detectors. So off to Walmart I went to get some battery powered ones.

So that got me thinking about installing some interconnected hardwired ones as backup. So just looking for advice on brands, how to they communicate with each other, etc. Do they need to be on their own circuit? Do they have battery backup or do I need to put them on a generator circuit?

Since they are strictly for backup, I am only planning on using 4 of them, master, daughter's BR, living room and basement. Or do I need to go all in on this?

Installing interconnected smoke detectors

Some AHJ's want the smokes on a separate circuit, some want on a lighting circuit (so you know if you lose power).

Don't have AHJ. So no codes really to worry about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oso954

Go all in. The longer it takes for the alarm to sound, the bigger the fire will be (more damage) before the Fire Dept. arrives.

If backing up the system is needed, partial backup isn't enough.

I get the concept here, but this is for the 2-3 nights a year when the phone line is out. And honestly for those 2-3 nights it is about getting people/pets out and not property damage. Plus we would already be behind notifying the fire department since we would have to get out first and then call vs the alarm panel making the automated call.